Advocacy – Local « Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance (CABA)

CABA ANNUAL SURVEY – Due today – Feb. 8

February 8, 2012

Put your head where your heart is

THIRD ANNUAL SURVEY OF BICYCLE USER NEEDS - It is time again to take a reading of the community – cyclists and non-cyclists alike. This survey is being sent to several thousand area residents. The goal is to gauge the public’s needs, habits, and desires. We invite you to take a few minutes to complete our survey. We also encourage you to forward it onto people you know.

Deadline extended till Wednesday, Feb. 8. Results will be shared with all interested parties including civic leadership and government agencies, and will be available on the CABA website and Facebook. You need not be a cyclist to fill out this survey.

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy - Local, Bike lanes + infrastructure, Bike plans / planning, Safety | Permalink
Posted by martinzimmerman8

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

February 8, 2012

Through May 2012

Mark your calendars !

CABA monthly Forums - at Kickstand Burgers and Bar – Mar. 6, Apr. 3, May 8.
BIKE! Charlotte – 16 days of rides, rodeos, tours and special events held throughout the City of Charlotte. Begins with the Annual Mayor’s Ride – April 27- May 13.
Bicycle Advisory Committee – Citizen appointed group which advises the Mayor, City Council and County Council. Membership open to the general public. Great opportunity to stay current on city sponsored bicycle projects and planning. 7th Floor main conference room, Char-Meck. Government Center. Jan. 24, Feb. 28, Mar. 27, Apr. 23, May 22. Staffed by Ken Tippette, CDOT Bicycle Program Manager.
League of American Bicyclists Annual Summit – Washington D.C. – Mar 20-22. Join representatives from all over from North Carolina, including bike shop owners, club reps, advocacy groups and individuals. The biggest and baddest national bicycle happening ! Y0ur chance to lobby all NC Congressional offices on Capitol Hill. CABA will be there.
National Bike Month - May 2012
National Bike to Work Week - May 14-18

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy - Local, CDOT, Meetings, Meetings CABA monthly | Permalink
Posted by martinzimmerman8

TODAY! – Feb. 4

January 26, 2012

CABA Annual Meeting !

Celebrating 13 years of bicycle advocacy

9 a.m.- 1 p.m. / Dowd YMCA / 7th floor

What: Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance Annual Meeting – Your chance to review the last year’s successes and help set our agenda for the rest of 2012. This is your chance to both learn and participate. We are especially interested in folks willing to volunteer in the months ahead to help our shared visions become reality.

When: Saturday – Feb. 4 – 8:30 a.m. (Sign-in and schmooze). Meeting starts promptly at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Do wd Y MCA - 7th floor conference room. Bicycle racks at front and rear of building.

Who: You ! (open to all comers).

Special Guest Speakers:

Ken (KT) Tippette - CDOT bicycle program manager – KT has been at his desk for 8 years tackling the big issues and small details, all the stuff that goes towards making Charlotte a first-class bicycle friendly community. KT will highlight recent projects and offer some clues to the challenges that lie ahead. Time is set aside for audience discussion.
Cheryl Myers – Senior VP for Planning and Development/Charlotte Center City Partners. Cheryl will present a brief overview of the Center City 2020 Vision Plan approved by City Council last fall, and suggest action items to transform Uptown and the 16 contiguous neighborhoods into a model “City of Bikes”. To include audience Q + A.

Additional speaker topics:

Light rail bike/ped. trail to UNCC (John Cock or Maya Aagarwal/Alta Design); - Regional bike/ped. trail - Uptown to Mooresville (Gwen Cook/Park and Rec.Dept ); The Adam Little Foundation legislative petition campaign (Debbie Thompson); Safe Routes to Schools /”Safety Town Program” ( Dick Winters/County Health Dept .

* Mid-morning coffee and pastry and lunchtime catering will be provided *

* $100 BIKE SHOP GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE LUCKY WINNER ! *

2 Comments | Advocacy - Local, Events - Local, Meetings | Permalink
Posted by martinzimmerman8

NEWS FLASH ! – GOOD NEWS FROM U.S.CONGRESS

January 16, 2012

“Complete the Streets” bill

A new federal transportation authorization bill will include a measure for the safe accommodation of all users, including bicyclists and pedestrians, in federally funded street projects. The bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to create national standards for the safe accommodation of all road users. The bill is now awaiting passage of the full Fiscal Year 2012 budget. Charlotte has been ahead of the curve with its own version – the ”Urban Street Design Guidelines” -(passed by City Council with strong CABA support) – .

For more details, CLICK: CTS legislation.

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy - Local, Advocacy - National, Bike plans / planning, Safety | Permalink
Posted by martinzimmerman8

PEOPLE AND HAPPENINGS

January 6, 2012

In and around Charlotte

Cycle Track in Uptown - maybe. We hear that a consultant contract is being negotiated to study the feasibility of Charlotte’s first two-way “cycletrack” along 3d Street from the new Little Sugar Creek Greenway and CPCC thru Uptown to Irwin Creek Greenway.
”Bike Share” update - CABA has been informed that discussions are taking place for outside vendors and sponsors for a bike share program on or before the DNC convention in Sept. 2012 but nothing is firm as yet. More news upcoming. Stay tuned !
Bad News: Update on $10 million Federal “Tiger Grant” application for a major urban/suburban bike trail - Unfortunately, Charlotte did not make the cut. This could have been a big one . It could have leveraged another $20 million to build a trail connecting Little Sugar Creek NE to Tobey Creek at UNCC and from there all the way to Cabarus County as a major link in the unfolding Carolina Thread Trail system. There were over 800 applicants !
Green lanes for Charlotte ? – CDOT has received tentative approval from national certifiers to construct some “green lanes” as an experiment. This is big news, and if you have ridden on them elsewhere you may have experince the secure feeling it is to be on one. BTW: In other cities they are also blue and red. As long as they are bright who cares !? CLICK: GoGreen to see a video of Brooklyn, New York’s test lane.

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy - Local, Bike plans / planning, CDOT, Events - Local, Safety | Permalink
Posted by martinzimmerman8

YEAR END DONATION GOODBY ’11…… HELLO ’12

December 30, 2011

HELP US SET A NEW RECORD

DONATE TO CABA: The clock is ticking. Another year about to begin…

In the past we have offered incentives, like free tail light blinkies, gift certificates, discounts at area bike shops, and even free passes to the Tour de France (just kidding). This time around all we seek is your loyalty and commitment to the cause. According to our polls, that’s the reason the vast majority of folks contribute to CABA. Our donors remain loyal because they know we are working for them, 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.

We all know the many benefits of cycling – - savings on household expenses (up to $8400 per year according the the American Automobile Assocation), cleaner air, ending oil addiction and auto dependency, trimming couch potato waistlines, supporting a robust economy, …..and just plain fun ! We know it’s about more than just the bike. We know that we are all in this together.

This time around we are asking for a simple one-time donation. If you are already a member (that includes our many corporate and foundation sponsors along with individuals) we ask you take a minute and donate an addtional sum. If you are not a member that’s ok too. (By the way, your donation is tax-deductible.)

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To donate – - simply click the box on the upper right column marked “Donate” and pay whatever amount you prefer by credit card. It’s that easy.

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In case you are wondering just how CABA’s allocating your member dollars, here are some key initiatives we are working on:

Campaign to make NCDOT owned arterial streets bicycle friendly - making sure “Complete the Streets” guidelines as passed by City Council in 2008 are an NCDOT priority in the Queen City.
Expand and upgrade the CABA “bike valet” service - at local civic and sporting events to match the level of San Francisco, Washington D.C. and other national trendsetters.
A marketing campaign -to spread the pro-cycling brand to possibly include T-shirts, jerseys, decals, bike shop promotions, and hi-profile local media coverage.
A proactive educational program – for novice, casual riders to become dedicated everyday cyclists.
Keeping federal, state and local transporation funding dollars intact - to generate badly needed jobs in stressful economic times – including funds for bicycling and walking infrastructure.